Falcons bring back Verron Haynes

The Falcons cut Haynes on Saturday. And they have announced that he has been re-signed Monday.

The move was undoubtedly done for one reason — to avoid Haynes’ base salary from becoming essentially guaranteed in 2009.

Here’s how it works. Any player with four or more years of service who is on a Week One roster and thereafter is cut may elect to take the balance of his salary as termination pay.

It’s a benefit that’s available to every player once and only once in his career.

But the benefit often ends up being a detriment, causing guys like Haynes to lose a game check so that the team won’t have to give him all 17 of them if they decided in early October or thereabouts to cut him loose.

I would have seen Thomas Brown come back, but perhaps the practice squad would be better for his career.

Hap says:Sep 14, 2009 3:06 PM

Seems like that would be illegal.

Anarcho Purplism says:Sep 14, 2009 3:30 PM

What quality of players does this effect?
What % of the players fit this category?
I presume this issue is only for players on the bubble of making a roster or “we could take or leave ya”. If a team is more concerned about guaranteeing payment for a season of work, rather than risk them being signed by another team….probably effects less than 5% of players.

SaintsBucsPanthersSUKK says:Sep 14, 2009 3:45 PM

Being thrifty is nifty.

Kevin from Philly says:Sep 14, 2009 4:12 PM

Ah, the NFL equivalent of dumping your girlfriend right before Christmas, so you don’t have to buy her a present.